Strong earthquake shakes northern Japan

A strong earthquake has shaken northern Japan, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The quake measured 5.7 on the Richter scale.

It centred about 30 miles below the seabed off the southern coast of Kunashiri Island, about 620 miles northeast of Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said. Kunashiri is part of the Kurils island chain disputed by Japan and Russia.

Local police said no damage or injuries were reported from the quake. There was also no risk of tsunami waves, the agency said.

The shaking was mostly limited to the city of Nemuro on the eastern edge of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, the agency said.

An earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher can damage buildings when centered near heavily populated areas.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries as it sits on four tectonic plates, slabs of land that move across the earth's surface.